COMPUTER cops in Birmingham have saved almost two dozen children from the clutches of online paedophiles in the past year, it emerged today.

COMPUTER cops in Birmingham have saved almost two dozen children from the clutches of online paedophiles in the past year, it emerged today.

The detectives turned saviour as they scoured the computers of suspected paedophiles nabbed in the West Midlands and tracked down their young victims from horrific images contained on their hard drives.

Police bosses then alerted law enforcement agencies around the globe who swooped on homes arresting the child abusers and rescuing the youngsters.

The success emerged as a former childminder and a company boss were beginning four years for trying to obtain young girls for sex.

Vanessa Jones and Michael Chester met online, exchanging messages about their desire to have sex with children. They contacted another man and asked if he could provide a child to be abused but he alerted police.

Jones 45, of Gorse Close, Selly Oak, and Chester, 42, of Grimsby, Lincolnshire, were also ordered to register as sex offenders for life.

Det Sgt Damian Morgan, from West Midlands Police Hi-Tech Crime Unit, said by focusing on previously unseen images they could try to trace victims.

"The big problem for law enforcers is the internet is awash with indecent images we see time and time again," he said.

"By getting all of that stuff out of the way we can try to identify new victims and follow the trail to try and get that child away from the abuse.

"We have helped to recover about 20 children from abuse across the world through our investigations started here."

The sickening scale of child abuse on the internet emerged during Operation Ore, a major police operation targeting about 7,000 people who had paid to access paedophile websites.

About 500 people from the West Midlands were arrested as part of the operation.

Det Insp Morgan said by targeting online sex abuse they were managing to get potential child molesters off the streets at a much earlier age.

"Before the internet, we were dealing with entrenched paedophiles in their middle age with scores of victims behind them," said Det Insp Morgan.

"Now were are arresting them aged 19, 20, 25, hopefully getting in early and stopping that long list of offending."